Since
it has been demonstrated that mixed gender departments produce more profits for
companies, exactly what is stopping women getting to the top? And what can be
done about it?
Succession
planning in some companies is woefully inadequate. Grooming the most
appropriate candidate for an up-coming position would, automatically include a
number of women, so this is a place to start. It will work as long as women are
encouraged and supported. So often they are not.
Too
often the feedback I receive from women is that men often feel threatened by
successful or ambitious women and so do what they can to hold them back. Disappointingly,
the “old boy’s network” is alive and still thriving at the higher levels of
many companies in this country.
In
Norway businesses have benefitted from the implementation of a quota system.
All companies are required to have women holding at least 40% of all boardroom
positions. Richard Branson reports that the figure is now “an encouraging 44%”.
However, this doesn’t translate into CEO status, where the figure is around 2%.
This system brings a balance of experience and viewpoints and since the
population is made up of both men and women it makes sense to have both equally
represented at decision-making level in companies. This may soon become the law
in the UK, as the EU is considering implementing it as law for the whole of
Europe. Watch this space to see how it works.
Richard
Branson also points out, in his article “Why We Need More Women in the Boardroom”,
that since 70% of household purchasing decisions are made by women – from the
brand of shampoo to the house, car and holiday– and since, often, 50% of the
employees in a company are women, surely it makes sense to have them equally
represented at the decision-making end of the company.
He
goes on to suggest that companies might begin by considering the opportunities available
for women to advance their career in the company – beginning with asking the
female employees themselves for their experiences and advice. Such wise words.
However,
this won’t address the most pressing reasons for the lack of female applicants
for top jobs, which are
·
Lack of affordable childcare –
the biggest issue for mothers wishing to return to work after birth.
·
Lack of shared parental leave
after childbirth
·
Lack of long parental leave
entitlement by fathers – mothers have long leave options, fathers are usually
lucky if they have a couple of weeks.
·
The impact maternity leave can
have on small companies.
·
The reluctance of some
companies to promote women because they are unwilling to address the changes
that this would require.
Not
all companies can offer subsidised childcare for their staff, I accept that.
But something has to be done to stem the loss of top talent in business.
Flexible
working is an option. In the examples I have seen it rather looks and feels
like being a small business owner, working from home. It allows employees to
work out their own schedules and fit work round school runs and other meetings.
This works as well for fathers as mothers and is something I read about many
years ago, when it was seen as the future of business in the UK. Hmm. That
prediction didn’t quite work out, did it?
There
are many who are against quotas, preferring targets instead. There is currently
a target to have 25% women board members by 2015, and certainly there is
evidence that this would have a beneficial effect on society and business in
the future.
So
what are the answers?
As
many and varied as there are companies I suspect.
I
firmly believe that it has to be
possible to “have it all”. That, if they so wish, women should be able to
pursue a career, reach the top and also bring up a family – but it needs
enormous determination on the part of both women and companies to achieve this.
However,
I stress, “If they so wish”. Not every woman has to want to reach the top – any
more than every man has to. It is time we got honest about what we really want,
worked out what it will cost not just in financial terms, but also in terms of lifestyle,
happiness and peace of mind. It should be as acceptable in the UK as it is in
Norway, for men to stay at home and bring up the children – if that is their
choice.
It
also helps to have supportive family and to have the luxury of deciding when
the right moment for career advancement is. It may be from the moment of birth
or it may be once the children are older. Equally it may be to not have children
at all. Again, no right answer – just a personal choice.
So,
from my research, the main factors affecting the number of women reaching the
top of their career ladder are
·
The attitude of the largely
male-dominated upper echelons of major companies
·
The lack of affordable
childcare
·
A lack of confidence in their
ability to fulfil a role – especially if the job specification is worded in ‘male’
language
·
Women’s own doubt about the
effort to reward ratio being worth the potential sacrifices.
My
solutions?
·
Re-write job advertisements
and job specifications to use more female friendly language. It would be great
if companies would use more neutral language, but failing that, do it yourself
and see the difference in your confidence.
·
Do the maths. Actually work
out the financial benefits to pursuing your career against the cost of
childcare. Then factor in your happiness, which is priceless. Do what feels
right for you – otherwise you will be resentful, whichever choice you make.
·
Childcare not an issue? Great.
Develop a plan – a detailed plan of all you will need to do, get a coach or
mentor and get to work on achieving your goal. Be relentless in your pursuit of
success – and be open to changing companies, sectors or career if that is what
it takes.
I am able to
provide a tailor made solution in the form of my unique 3 step MAP system for
career success. This is available as
·
Option 1 - a
series of 12 webinars with manual, over 6 months for those wanting an
affordable option.
·
Option 2 - A
luxury, intensive weekend event, where clients use the whole of my MAP system
to begin to develop their individual strategy for success. This works well for
those who are impatient and want to get their career moving quickly. ( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk
)
·
Option 3 - my
bespoke promotion programme, providing individual support whilst using my MAP
system. This is for those who want an individual programme and one to one support
throughout the process. ( sue@successandimagecoach.co.uk )
I
am very happy to offer a complimentary strategy call to discuss options and whether
any of the above would be suitable for your needs.
Whatever
you decide to do – make it your conscious, positive decision, develop a plan
and do something towards achieving your goal every day.
I
would love to hear about your experiences of this issue – both positive and
negative, so please email me with your thoughts at
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